Last night, as I was watching TV, I saw a message pop up in the “messages” section of the info bar.
It simply says, “Customer Notification: As of 10/17/23, the Alexa Voice feature will be removed from Alexa devices and DIRECTV Genie HD DVRs. (Message 1 of 1.)
As of the time I’m writing this, there’s no other detail to be given. Although it’s a little vague, I think what it’s trying to say is that the DIRECTV Alexa skill is being removed and won’t function.
Gotta look back to understand
DIRECTV started doing voice control of its devices all the way back in 2013. Don’t believe me? Here’s the review I did of it when it launched. This was in the early days of voice control, when most people had only seen demonstrations of Siri and very little else. DIRECTV’s implementation was way ahead of its time. Perhaps, it was too far ahead. While iPhones at the time were powerful enough to work with this technology, the DVRs of the day were just too slow to give a really enjoyable experience.
The Alexa skill
DIRECTV’s second attempt at a voice control system came in 2018 when they added an Alexa skill. Here’s the article I did about that at the time. Remember, back then DIRECTV was part of AT&T, which is why the skill has the AT&T logo.
I guess we should have all guessed that Alexa was going to go away since the logo never got updated. In the meantime, the original voice control system went away sometime before 2021. I feel a little sheepish about, it but I never noticed it was gone in the new Genie menus. By the time I noticed, it had probably been gone for a while.
Take 3: Google Voice Assistant
Real, top-quality voice integration came to DIRECTV client boxes this year with the introduction of Gemini. Because Gemini is based on the Android TV operating system, it includes Google’s voice assistant, the same one on your Android phone. It’s built into the Gemini remote.
At the same time, I started getting an inkling that something was up with Alexa when our customers discovered that while the Alexa skill still worked with Genie clients, it didn’t work with Gemini. This was another big hint that something was up.
A little digging shows that there does not seem to be a Google Assistant integration for DIRECTV, but that just may be the next step.
Looking forward… a few guesses
First of all I think it’s very possible that DIRECTV is planning to roll out Google Assistant integration for HR54/Genie 1 and HS17/Genie 2 devices. There’s definitely enough computing power to do it, and DIRECTV has had a robust backend system for IP control for well over a decade. It would just be a matter of creating a bridge between those commands, which work with every box (including Gemini as far as I can tell) and Google Home devices.
Or, they could just … not be doing that. After a few years of excitement about voice integration of devices, it’s just not a big deal for most people. There are some niches where voice integration has stayed popular, but for the most part it just never took off. Using voice commands in your car is a no brainer. Having a voice operated light near your door makes sense, because we all carry groceries and other things in. But the idea that every device in your home would be voice controlled just doesn’t seem to be on the radar anymore. I think that the reason is simple. It’s generally easier to push one button than say “Alexa, tell the oven to turn on and then preheat to 350.” Most voice skills are similarly complex. It’s just a pain, let’s be honest.
So, it wouldn’t surprise me to hear that DIRECTV has chosen to use voice control with its Gemini remote, for people who are tech forward. For others, it’s possible they just aren’t going to bother.
Will Alexa be missed?
I’ll be honest, folks. I probably missed the death of DIRECTV’s original voice control by about two years. No one was talking about it, no one was using it that I’m aware of. It makes me wonder how many people are using the Alexa skill. It hasn’t been updated since 2018. Several commenters have pointed out that it already has some compatibility issues.
So, I’ll leave it up to you to comment. Will you miss Alexa? Truth is, I won’t. I unplugged my echo dot years ago. I wasn’t using it for anything. Not only that, it became clear that it was listening to, and logging, all my conversations 24 hours a day. I don’t have anything to hide, dear readers, but come on. Who really wants to be recorded like that?
Leave a comment below and tell the world what you think of this next step. Is DIRECTV smart to abandon something that would require a lot of work to keep current? Or should they support their customers by keeping the Alexa skill active? Start the conversation!
Oh, by the way, if you have any questions about upgrading your DIRECTV system, call us at 888-233-7563 or fill out the form below!
